SUPER BOWL XXVIII

SUPER BOWL XXVIII; It's Fourth-and-Heartbreak as the Bills Lose One More

By THOMAS GEORGE,

Published: January 31, 1994

ATLANTA, Jan. 30—
It was the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII running up the middle and around the ends and into the end zone. It was Buffalo putting pressure on the Dallas Cowboys' potent offense and limiting it to two field goals. It was Buffalo with the better passing game, the better kicking game, the better scheme and with fewer mistakes.

It was Buffalo by 13-6.

It was only halftime, though. That was the problem for the Buffalo Bills.

"We ran into the kicker and gave them another chance on a drive," said Cowboys offensive guard Nate Newton. "We made holding mistakes, we blew some early assignments on defense because they came out with a three-step drop and quick throws underneath and we didn't expect that. At halftime, we said, 'Forget Buffalo. Let's take care of ourselves, first. Let's concentrate on the Dallas Cowboys. Let's remember why we are the world champions.' "

And once Dallas did that, it was over.

It was a 14-0 spree for Dallas in the third quarter and 24 consecutive points by game's end. It was Dallas 30, Buffalo 13 in Super Bowl XXVIII before a Georgia Dome record crowd of 72,817.

It is two straight titles now for the Dallas Cowboys and four over all.

It is four straight losses now for the Buffalo Bills in the Big Show. No team in any sport had ever lost four straight championships.

This one ended in large measure like last year's Super Bowl -- Buffalo turned the ball over and Dallas made the Bills pay. Buffalo did not make nine turnovers like in last year's Super Bowl rout, a Dallas 52-17 victory. But it was three turnovers this time and all three led to Dallas points -- 17 total, the margin of victory.

"Certainly, a first half of play against a very good team doesn't tell the whole story, and we knew it," said Buffalo Coach Marv Levy. "They won the turnover battle today and that makes the difference."

The biggest miscue was by Bills running back Thurman Thomas only 55 seconds into the second half.

Thomas dropped the ball once in the first quarter and it led to a Dallas field goal and a 6-3 Dallas lead. Buffalo overcame that, with Thomas providing the punch on his 4-yard scoring run with 12 minutes 26 seconds left in the first half. That score gave Buffalo its first lead, by 10-6. Cowboys Take Control After Fumble Return

But Buffalo would not overcome his second drop. Dallas tackle Leon Lett smashed Thomas, he fumbled, safety James Washington picked it up and ran and kept running. Washington zigzagged his way 46 yards into the end zone for a touchdown less than a minute into the second half.

Dallas had tied the game at 13-13 on that play.

And once the Cowboys had the tie, their defense dominated and the Dallas offense gave the ball to the man who takes care of the ball and the Cowboys best -- running back Emmitt Smith.

In the third quarter, Dallas drove 64 yards for the go-ahead touchdown that made the score 20-13, and Smith ran for 61 of those yards on seven of the eight Dallas plays. He completed the drive with a tough and determined 15-yard run with 8:42 left in the quarter. Dallas would finish with another Smith score, a 1-yard run on fourth down early in the fourth quarter, and with Eddie Murray's 20-yard field goal with 2:50 to play.

Thomas said, candidly: "There is no doubt the key play to the game was my fumble. James Washington took the ball the other way and that was the game. It changed the momentum. I have not been a fumbler for my entire career, so this hurts. I can't run with two hands on the football all the time. It's not my style. They obviously really practice stripping the ball. You can see it in the film. You could see it in this game." Smith Is Named M.V.P.

Smith carried the football 30 times and caught it four times and he did not fumble.

He finished with 132 rushing yards and coupled with his 108 last year is one of only two backs to finish with 100 rushing yards in two straight Super Bowls. The former Miami Dolphins great, Larry Csonka, did it in Super Bowls VII and VIII. Smith won the m.v.p. of this Super Bowl and he also won m.v.p. league honors this season, plus the N.F.L. rushing title.

Buffalo and everyone knows it now: Emmitt Smith is the real deal.

"You can't ask for anything more," Smith said. "Before every game, all we talk about is turnovers and touchdowns. That's what we got here. For me, there is a lot of room for growth and for the team to grow. This has been a great year for all of us. Everybody back in Dallas has a lot to cheer about and they're going to be cheering for a long time. I promise you."

Somebody in the Bills' locker room said something about Five in '95.

"I don't know, is it the players, the coaches, what?" asked a frustrated Bills fullback, Carwell Gardner. "We start fast then we fizzle all over the place. When you lose four in a row you wonder what is the point in coming back? Same old song. It gets old. It really gets old." No-Huddle Holds Up, for a While

How good was Buffalo early?

This first half was an example of its no-huddle offense clicking as designed and the Buffalo defense standing stout against the potent Dallas offense. Buffalo limited Dallas to two field goals in the first 30 minutes, an early surprise. The Bills showed why, when their no-huddle scheme is in gear, they love it: Their motto in this offense is it does not matter how long you have the ball but what you do with it when you have it.

Dallas had the ball longer in the half (16:42 to 13:18) and that is typical for the Bills' opponent in the Buffalo quick-paced offensive attack. But startlingly, the Bills ran more plays (41 to 29), gained more first downs (15 to 10) and picked up more yards (216 to 170). And the Buffalo defense forced a turnover in the half's closing seconds to win the first-half turnover battle and set up Christie's closing field goal.

How bad was Buffalo late?

Of course, the Bills' offense was shut out in the second half, and their defense was shredded both on the ground and in the air. Thomas rushed for 10 yards in the second half as the Bills gained only 98 total yards and made only 2 of 10 third-down conversions. The Buffalo defense, which held Smith to 41 yards rushing in the first half, was burned for 91 yards and two rushing touchdowns by Smith in the second. Peak Performance

It was as if two games were played. Buffalo won the first, 13-6, then Dallas dominated the second, 24-0. The Cowboys did a better job putting the game into focus at halftime, and once Thomas fumbled, all Buffalo's momentum vanished. That's when the Cowboys' technical, mental and physical strengths were at a peak.

Jim Kelly produced his best Super Bowl. He was 31 of 50 for 260 yards but got only 94 passing yards in the second half and was intercepted by Washington, who lost his starting job at safety early in the season but rebounded beautifully (Washington even led Dallas in tackles with 11, all solo). Thomas finished with 37 rushing yards and he and Brooks led in catches with seven apiece.

Smith carried the ball on 30 of the Dallas 35 running plays but he also gained 26 yards a receiver. Troy Aikman was 19 of 27 for 207 yards with one interception. Michael Irvin and Jay Novacek led Dallas with five catches apiece but Alvin Harper led in yards gained with 75 on three catches.

Dallas entered as the faster, quicker, deeper and favorite team. Add the turnovers to their arsenal and they were twice as good.

"I didn't want to make it a 10-point game by going for a field goal late there instead of giving the ball to Emmitt," Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson said. "I knew Emmitt would find a seam on the pitch and he did. We're an aggressive football team. Every time we line up to play, we try to make things happen. It doesn't always work, but we're going for it. We're going for the jugular every time."

Photos: Cowboys' Emmitt Smith celebrating with teammates after scoring on a 15-yard touchdown run during the third quarter last night. (Agence France-Presse); Buffalo's Thurman Thomas ran 16 times for only 37 yards as Dallas shut him down. (Associated Press) (pg. C1); Jimmy Johnson leaving the field after being doused by team members near the end of last night's victory. (Barton Silverman/The New York Times)